The French association Acteurs du Tourisme Durable (ATD), gathering the majority of French main players committed to sustainable tourism, in partnership with ID Tourism, an engineering and marketing company specialized in sustainable tourism, conducts studies and surveys before each holiday period (summer and winter holidays) to present the main trends in responsible travel among French travelers.

Thriving Responsible Travel Market

According to the ATD and ID Tourism 2012 Survey, despite the current difficult economic and social situation in France, which is expected to heavily influence reservation rates for this summer, responsible travel market is doing well.

The survey shows that cycling and tailor-made travel are among the most popular forms of responsible tourism for this summer in France. With many travelers seeking a "back to nature" travel experience, cycling trips are also popular among families and group travelers. With more and more consumers seeking travel experiences adapted to their expectations, tour operators specializing in tailor-made travel are likely to attract today's French responsible travelers, and their reservation rates are showing significant growth from last year. With the difficult economic climate, customers are also looking to cut costs without losing quality of services.

Other responsible travel markets show encouraging signs for the summer season: adventure tourism and trekking continue to attract a clientele interested in nature and in local communities; voluntourism is a growing niche with a wide range of travelers; active forms of tourism, especially in urban areas, are also increasing, while still very dependent on the weather and individual last-minute bookings.

Responsible Tourism Trends and Destinations

The market for local tourism in France is relatively stable. Unique and environmentally responsible accommodations are still valued in regions that offer the authentic local identity beautiful landscapes and sustainable local experiences.

Community-based tourism market remains fairly stable, though quite disparate situations based on tour operators and destinations they offer. Operators are feeling the effect of economic conditions, and the brand image and insecurity problems of some countries in Africa and the Middle East.

For overseas destinations, India, Madagascar and Burma are the three most popular summer destinations. The Loire by bike, Senegal, Indonesia and Sub-Saharan Africa also fared very well. Egypt, Greece and the Sahel regions continue to suffer while Morocco recovered slowly, and Tunisia begins to attract travelers on alternative offers.